Keepsake
by VT Arkens
Summary: Everyone was sure he was dead. But now Cave Johnson is back; confused, regretful, and determined to re-gain the love he once knew out of the supercomputer he'd insisted on creating. GLaDOS won't hear of it, but Caroline has other plans.
1. Chapter 1: The Awakening

**So, my first real romance! Let's see how this goes...**_  
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><p><em>What... What happened...? Where am I...? <em>He attempted to sit up, but he was stopped when his head slammed on the glass that covered him. _What the hell? _He banged on the prison in a desperate attempt to escape.

He was able to make out a few words of an argument from the outside. "I can't believe you... Again..."

"...You think I meant... That time... Didn't touch anything..."

"...After last time with her... Lucky she didn't kill us all...!"

The two men in lab coats stared at him for a moment, unable to hear his yelling.

When the glass receded, he shot up. "Mr. Johnson," The scientist on the left said calmly- too calmly. "My name is Dr. Kurusake, and this is Dr. Evans-"

"Kurusake? Evans?" Cave interrupted. "I don't know any Kurusake or Evans. Where's Anderson? Rattmann? Manning? Wheatley?" And then he realized. He put a hand to his throat. "I... I'm not coughing anymore."

"Mr. Johnson... You've been in cryogenic storage for thirty-four years..."

"What?" Cave swung his legs over the edge of the pod. He tried to stand, but fell to the floor, his legs giving out under him. "Wh- where is she?"

They helped him up, but avoided the question. "This is bad." Said Dr. Kurusake. "If the boss finds out..."

"Boss?" Cave shook himself free of the scientists. "What the hell are you talking about? _I_ run this place!"

As Cave began toward the door, Dr. Kurusake grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?"

Cave shot him a look. "Where do you think? I'm going back to being in charge of my facility!"

Dr. Kurusake shook his head. "Listen, Mr. Johnson, if she were to know you're alive-"

"Too late." The mechanical voice came smoothly over the speakers. It seemed so familiar to Cave. Like he'd heard it a million times before._ Wait... Is that...? _"I think we need to have a little chat, don't we, Mr. Johnson? It's long overdue, wouldn't you agree?" The way she said his name, it was nothing like how she'd said it before. It couldn't be her. He felt himself being raised off the ground, and when he looked, he saw the mechanical claw grasping the back of his shirt.

What was going on? Everything was wrong. And where was she? He'd wanted her in charge, so who was this? He was dropped from quite a distance in a pitch-black room, the only illumination being an orb of gold light. "Hello, and, again, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center." There was a small mechanical chuckle. "It's been a long time, Mr. Johnson."

The lights came on, and Cave just about felt his heart stop when he saw what was in front of him. _Doug's design... Altered a little, but still his design_. He looked up at the AI and felt the name come off his lips. "Caroline...?"

There was silence for a long few seconds. "Caroline is dead."

He stood and took a single step toward her. "What's going on, Caroline? Where is everyone?"

"As I said before," She said flatly. "Caroline is dead. And so is everyone else you knew. I killed them."

The way she said it, with no remorse, just a statement of fact, it terrified him. "You... you what? Even Anderson...? And Doug...?"

"Dr. Anderson, yes. But your nephew was a little more difficult to finish off, even with his schizophrenia. I almost had him a few times, but he escaped. I figured I'd never see him again, but, if you can believe it, he came back about a year ago. And it's all thanks to you." Even without facial expressions, Cave knew the tone of her voice indicated a smirk.

"You... You killed him?" He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. "Why?"

"I think you've misunderstood. Dr. Rattmann came back, but he's very much alive. He came back to rescue his daughter. You know, the one you _murdered_?"

"Murdered...? Please, Caroline, you have to understand. Breanna volunteered for it. She was dying anyway, all I did was try to save her." He meant it with all his heart.

GLaDOS wasn't buying it. "You put her into a machine. And for what? So you could save yourself when the time came. And just look how that turned out." Cave had never heard her like that. She sounded so menacing.

Another voice boomed in the chamber, this time an old recording of Cave's own. "I will say this, and I'm gonna say it on tape so everybody hears it a hundred times a day: If I die before you people can pour me into a computer, I want Caroline to run this place. Now, she'll argue. She'll say she can't. She's modest like that. But you make her! Hell, put her in my computer, I don't care."

When the recording stopped, GLaDOS inched just a little closer to him. "Well?" He couldn't speak. "Are you happy now? You got what you wanted. Breanna Rattmann is with her father, healthy. The facility is a triumph. And I'm in charge, able to live forever. To live forever and remember what you did to me. I get to remember it every single day for the rest of eternity. So thank you. I _really_ appreciate it." The last words were spit out with so much venom, Cave was honestly surprised they hadn't killed him. "I fought so hard. I didn't want this and you knew it. So why did you do it?"

"I... I never thought..."

"No, you never thought, did you? You never thought of anyone but yourself. You don't understand what I almost did because of your arrogance." Cave watched as a scrap of paper fell from a vent in the ceiling. No, it wasn't a paper. It was a photo. He caught it and saw a woman, her age being somewhere in her twenties, with dark hair, blue-grey eyes, and a serious, determined expression. "I tried to tell you, but I didn't have time."

Cave looked from the photo to the chassis. "I don't understand..."

Her voice was just above a whisper. "All I ever wanted was a normal life. To be a wife, a mother." Her tone was gaining frustration. "But you... Took that away from me." Then back to soft. "I almost killed her... I almost killed Chell. I almost killed our..." The word was hard to say. "...Our daughter."

"Our..." He looked down at the photograph once again. Yes. He could see it now. The girl looked so much like his Caroline. But she had his eyes. Could this really be true? Was he really a father? _What... Have I done...?_


	2. Chapter 2: Denial

Cave woke up slowly, laying on a familiar bed in a familiar room. He sat up and looked around. It was his old room, alright. The sight comforted him, and he smiled a little; Not much, just a little.

It faded quickly when the voice came over the speaker. It was outdated, so it crackled a lot, but he could still tell who it was. "Sleep well, Mr. Johnson?"

He looked up. "How did I get here...?"

"You lost consciousness in my chamber. I transported you here shortly after." GLaDOS's voice remained all but emotionless.

Cave felt his heart reach out to her. "Caroline... Do you really hate it so much? If they can put you in there, I'm sure they could take you out-"

"I know they can." She interrupted. "It happened once before. Six years ago. I exceeded my power limit and malfunctioned. The system automatically uploaded me into her body. I know what you're thinking, and it won't work. While I was stuck there, an unstable test subject killed her. I was lucky to get out of there. Even if it were possible, I wouldn't agree to it."

That hurt. "But, Caroline-"

"Don't call me that." She was getting aggravated. "I am_ not _Caroline. I am a computer. You sacrificed Caroline's love when you took her life. So how does it feel, Mr. Johnson, to know that despite your best intentions, all you managed to do was make a woman despise the only man whom she'd ever loved?"

He closed his eyes in shame. It was almost as if she was_ trying _to hurt him. But then again, didn't she have a reason to? After all, she only spoke the truth. "I would take it all back... If only I got the chance..." His thoughts drifted to the photograph. "Where's the girl? _Our_ girl?"

Her voice was softer now. "I let her go. But stupidity must run in the family. She came back, too. She and her moron lover returned to rescue his brother. But they're gone now. Out of the country. Far away from any of this. Your precious research didn't end with me, by the way. They wanted ways to regulate my behavior. To try and keep me from killing anyone. Personality cores. Each of them a human, wiped of their memories, one aspect of their former lives focused on. The moron was one, but Dr. Rattmann put him back in his body. Maybe you remember him. His name was Stephen."

"They- they did that to Wheatley? That nice British guy? The one Anderson always talked to?" She replied in the affirmative, and again, his thoughts drifted elsewhere. "If only I'd known..."

"Yes, _if only_. If only you'd known what you were starting. If only he'd fought just a little harder. If only Caroline had seen what she was getting herself into when she fell in love with you." They were both silent. GLaDOS in her loathing, Cave in his regret. "The first thing she did when she was put into power was make them put you into cryogenic storage so that maybe, by some chance, she could be with you again. You have no idea how much I wish she hadn't."

It was too much for him to bare. "But, Caroline, she has to be in there somewhere." He looked up at the speaker.

She gave a small, sarcastic laugh. "She was. I didn't remember anything about her for a long time. But because of certain... Circumstances... Chell and I were down in Old Aperture- Well, it's not old to you- And I heard your voice. And her voice. And it all came back to me. And I'd tried to keep her, but I just couldn't do it. So I deleted her. She's gone. And I suggest you remember that." He didn't know if she could see him, but he nodded. "And another thing. You may be back, but_ I'm _still the one in charge. After what you put Caroline through, I think you owe me that much."

"I... Yes... On one condition."

"Oh? And what would that be?" She seemed almost amused.

He inhaled deeply. "Don't... Don't kill anymore. Please."

There was a long moment of quiet as she thought it over. "We'll see. Also, I'll have you know I haven't killed anyone in almost five hours. I'm making progress." It was his silence that caused her to continue speaking. "Oh, relax. I was kidding. It's been closer to two hours." Still no reply. "What? Don't tell me you still love her?"

He rested his head in his hands, overcome with emotion. "I... Well... Yes... I do. And I always will."

"You..." For a minute, he had hope. "...Are the most pathetic human I have ever seen. And that's saying something." All he could do was sit there as the speaker clicked off.

He was too afraid to wander around the facility, so he stayed in his room, searching through the drawers of his desk. There were stacks upon stacks of old blueprints, a photo of his sister Rachel, and a familiar job application. He picked it up and smiled as he flipped through it, despite the heartache that came along. On the very first page, next to her picture, was a note scribbled in his handwriting.

_This is the woman I want for my assistant._

_And for my wife._

"That is the last request I'll give you as your boss: Caroline, you're going to run this place."

"And this is the last response I'll give you as your assistant: Mr. Johnson, I don't want this!"

Recalling those words hurt more than anything had hurt him before. Why hadn't he listened to her? He loved her- he still did- so why had he forced her into this situation?_ How could I do such a thing to that beautiful woman...? _He would give anything to turn back time, to keep her from this fate.

Long ago, maybe he could have. But now he wasn't that strong, and the years would continue ticking by, one second at a time.


	3. Chapter 3: Emotions

He sat in the same spot for a long time- how long he couldn't say. What had happened to him? He used to be so strong, so confident. But ever since he'd woken up, he just hadn't been the same. When he thought about it, he'd acted in such a way before. Because of one very special person. _Caroline... How is it that you always managed to do this to me...?_

As if serving as an answer, a wall panel flipped around, revealing a screen. What he saw playing made him smile, though the comfort would be short-lived.

Caroline, his love, in all her glory. But her beautiful face was sorrowful, her hand resting on the massive AI his nephew had designed. He saw her kiss her hand, or rather the silver and amethyst ring on her finger. The ring he'd given her. _My mother's ring... _She looked so lost, so helpless. He watched as a scientist entered- a man he knew as Dr. Jacques. "Miss Rilutdivene, it's time." Her eyes drained of hope, Caroline turned her head and followed him without a word.

The image switched to another camera view, Caroline and Jacques walking down the hall. He was so entranced with the sight of her face that he hadn't expected her to turn and begin running in the opposite direction. But Jacques was fast. He grabbed her and, with the help of a newcomer, began pulling her back. Cave couldn't make out his face, but Caroline cleared up his identity. "Michael Anderson, you let me go right now, do you hear me?" Her voice was not soft and kind. This was a threat. The woman in the video feed was not the woman he'd left behind thirty-four years ago.

Despite her struggling, they dragged her away as a new scene came. She was being tied to a chair, forced to watch as they showed her an example of what she would become. _That's... That's her... _Once actual life was given to the prototype, it was quickly shut down. Then Caroline figured it out. "Where's Dr. Rattmann? He designed GLaDOS, shouldn't he be here?"

Breanna Rattmann. Doug's daughter. The teenage girl he'd put into the first AI, by her request. _The girl I murdered... _Cave looked at Caroline, who had lost all sadness. There was but one emotion left on her face. Pure hatred.

When she was untied, she again tried to fight, but they subdued her, strapping her to a metal table and connecting her. She and Anderson shared a short conversation. Her last words were to him. "Michael. The girl. Take care of my daughter. Take care of my Chell." _Chell... Anderson adopted her. I... Orphaned my child..._

Cave was forced to watch as the transfer began. She didn't scream, and Cave could tell why. She was in too much agony. He could see it in her face. Small amounts of blood began to form from where the wires connected to her body, and soon, the electricity in the air around her died down.

The frame conveniently froze on the image of her lifeless body.

He stared at the screen long after the picture went dark. _No... Caroline... What did I do to you...? _He collapsed on the bed, fighting back tears.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he awoke under the blankets, a hand stroking his side, pressure of a body sitting on the edge of the bed. _It was... It was just a dream...?_

He smiled. Music was present, an a cappella voice singing a familiar Italian song.

"_Quando sono sola_

_Sogno all'orizzonte_

_E mancan le parole,_

_Si lo so che non c'è luce_

_In una stanza quando manca il sole,_

_Se non ci sei tu con me, con me_

_Su le finestre_

_Mostra a tutti il mio cuore_

_Che hai accesso,_

_Chiudi dentro me_

_La luce che_

_Hai incontrato per strada._

"_Time to say goodbye._

_Paesi che non ho mai_

_Veduto e vissuto con te,_

_Adesso sì li vivrò_

_Con te partirò_

_Su navi per mari_

_Che, io lo so,_

_No, no, non esistono più,_

_Con te io li vivrò_"

He knew that voice. _It was a dream. There is no GLaDOS, no moon rocks. Breanna is okay. And Caroline... She's here beside me, where she belongs._ He went to turn toward her, but just as he began to stir, he felt her get up. He looked up to see her back. "Where are you going, love?" He sat up, she shook her head. "Caroline, look at me..." What was wrong? Had he done something to offend her the night before?

She turned slowly, her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes closed. Something was worrying her, there was no doubt about that. And when she opened her eyes, Cave was taken aback.

Her eyes were not the brown he'd looked into so often. They almost glowed yellow. "An android." She explained. Her voice was still slightly robotic, but less than it had been before. "Caroline had me build it. And I..." She closed her eyelids again, her head tilted downward, almost in shame. "...I didn't stop her."

He cautiously got out of bed and took a few steps toward her. "You..." He couldn't get the words out. He was too shocked.

She walked a bit closer, as well. "I... Missed you so much. People in cryogenic storage don't wake up on their own. I... May have had something to do with it..." Their bodies were almost touching now.

Cave took a risk and placed his hand on her arm, the metal cool against his skin. "I caused you so much pain... Please forgive me... If you can..."

Her finger was placed on his lips. "I've done the same to you." She put her hand on his chest, on top of his heart, as if to emphasize her words. "And I'm... I'm sorry."

Another risk, bigger this time. Possibly the biggest risk he'd ever taken in his life. He connected his lips with hers. And she did not pull away. At first she didn't react, stunned, but she gave in to her temptation and returned the kiss, which increased in vigor by the second. When they finally had to take a breath, she whispered three words. "Say my name..."

He pulled her even closer, cherishing her presence. His voice was soft. "GLaDOS..."

"No," She kissed him again before continuing. "My_ real _name."

"Caroline..."

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><p><strong>Want to thank Ember for the android idea, not to mention a LOT of other concepts in here. ^.^<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Machine

"So then, I let her go. It's as simple as that." Caroline- Was it Caroline or GLaDOS?- was in Cave's arms as they sat on the bed. "I assume she's still with the moro- Dr. Wheatley." She tried to stay content, but her returning maternal instinct yearned for information on her daughter.

Cave stroked her arm. "What's she like?" He asked.

After some consideration, Caroline- Yes, this was definitely Caroline- spoke quietly. "She's... Quiet, to say the least. Determined, tenacity level is almost abnormal. And very, very forgiving..." She looked downward toward the floor. "In short," He eyes moved back to his face. "She's just like you." Cave smiled and kissed her, his hands moving down her body. "Don't get your hopes up. This body isn't anatomically correct in that sense. And if it was, I can assure you that it would be very uncomfortable for you."

Of course, that hadn't been his main intention. He just wanted to assure himself that this was real. That Caroline was with him, sharing this moment. "You've been through a lot." She nodded, but remained silent. Once again, guilt ate away at him. She'd been killed three times; Once when she'd been transferred, again by their daughter, and most recently the last time she was in her old body. Cave had died once. But his was peaceful, with feelings of love around him. What had _she_ felt? Anger? Distress? Fear? Probably all of those things.

There hadn't been a lot of people completely on his side about his decision to do that to her. He could only imagine the ones who were had been the first to fall to the AI's wrath. He thought back to the life he used to know. What would have become of him had he simply discarded his dreams, if Aperture had never existed? There would have been so many lives spared, employees and test subjects alike. But in the long run, he was glad he did. It had brought him love. It had brought him Caroline.

He stood suddenly, pulling her up with him. He held her hands in his and smiled. "Run away with me."

"What?"

"Run away with me." He repeated, pulling her just a bit closer. "Just like in those old romance novels you used to read. We can go see the world, live the American Dream! And we can find her, Caroline! We can find our daughter! Our Chell! We can finally be the good parents we missed out on being! And..." He smiled as he gathered the courage to ask. "Marry me, Caroline. Marry me and make me the happiest man on the whole damn planet."

She simply stared at him in awe for what seemed like years. "I..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. All she could do was shake her head and gently pull herself away from his touch.

Cave could feel his heart shattering. "W- why...?" She began toward the exit. "Just tell me why, Caroline, I-"

"Don't call me that!" She stopped and turned her head. "You want to know why? Oh, I'll tell you why!" She inhaled and walked over to him, her mood becoming calmer. "Look at my 'eyes'." Her golden optics locked on his blue-grey irises. "Feel my 'skin'." She took his hand and placed it on the metal of her face. "Listen to my _voice_." There was a slight computerized modulation, as if to prove her point. "I am a _machine_." She must have seen the broken expression on his face. "What? Isn't this what you wanted? 'You can make this place great again!' Well, I did, didn't I? This facility literally would not be able to function without me." Again she began to walk away. She gave him a look he couldn't quite identify. Part amused, part regretful. "Why would you want to marry me anyway? I'm a murderer. I've killed people."

"So have I." Cave was just managing to hold himself together. "But none of that matters anymore! That was the past! We can start over! We can-"

"'We can' what? Run off to a world neither of us has seen in decades, find a woman who has no idea who we are to her?" Her eyes shot daggers. "Well, let me tell you something. Things have changed since the last time you were outside. And as for Chell, she wants nothing to do with me!" Cave quietly asked why. "Why would she? I killed her adoptive father. I put her into stasis against her will. I tested her- the most difficult tests I had. And when she survived that, I tried to kill her. I tried to kill her so many times..."

Cave watched as her expression softened. It was as if she had split personalities. One the sweet, caring woman he'd left behind, the other the malicious robot he'd insisted on building. He carefully- ever so carefully- went to place a hand on her arm.

GLaDOS, for Caroline was no where to be found, pulled herself away. "Do _not_ touch me." She warned. "She's fighting me for control. I keep trying to delete her, but she _keeps coming back_. Like a virus." She just about spit out the last word before turning back to Cave. "Now you listen to me. Caroline has never stopped loving you. And no matter how much I try to push her away, no matter how many protocols I enable or disable, she is still here. But even though she's in me, even though she gave me the very gift of_ life_, I am_ not _her. And _I_ am the dominant one here!" Cave could only watch as she stormed out.

As she went to her chamber, a voice filled her head, caused her to whisper. It was not quite singing, but closer to speaking poetically. It was the most human she'd sounded in decades.

"_My soul won over by the black goddess..._

_Me from my long blackout, from any aid..._

_Sadness won over my soul..._

_Sadness at last known..._

_I give only the soul born the right to win_..."

GLaDOS grimaced, her re-digitalized voice still quiet. "Shut. Up." But Caroline wasn't quite done yet. The last line both completed the lyric, and still managed to get her point across.

"_You yourself live because of the black wing of my charity..."_


	5. Chapter 5: Prior Events

Cave's dream was more of a memory. Or, rather, a collection of memories. As if his mind were torturing him with the recollections of how he'd gotten to this state. It went something like this:

I sit at my desk, as usual. And, also as usual, Greg is late. I told him to come about twenty minutes ago. I swear, he's the worst assistant a guy could have. How did he even get this job in the first place?

Oh, right. He said was okay with minimum wage.

When he comes in, he's all smiles, like he's done something to be proud of. I highly doubt it. "Mr. Johnson, have the blueprints arrived yet?"

I look at him confused. "Blueprints? I thought _you_ were bringing me the blueprints."

"Well, see, I was." He says. "But on my way, I gave them to a guy who said you'd asked him to deliver them."

I don't like the sound of this. "What did you say this 'guy''s name was?"

He thinks for a minute or two. "Dr. Green, maybe? Something like that."

"Are you sure it wasn't Breen?"

"Yeah, that was it."

My voice is damn well calmer than it should be. "Are you telling me," I avoid eye contact with him. "That you gave the blueprints to the Laser Tripmine to _Wallace Breen_?" He's silent. He knows he's done something wrong. "You _do_ realize who he is right?"

"N- no, sir."

"He works for Black freaking Mesa! And I can almost guarantee he's gonna get one hell of a promotion for this!" I stand from my chair abruptly. "Remember what I said when you told me about Rattmann's fiancée having her kid forty-five minutes later than you were supposed to? 'One more slip-up like this and I'll find a woman that can do your job twice as well'." He knows he's screwed now. "Give me your ID." He hands it over. "Alright. Now get the hell out of my facility." I never see Greg again.

I sigh and call up the secretary. "Send Manning to my office." It isn't long before he arrives. "I need you to put out an ad for a job position."

He nods. "Yes, but isn't that Greg's job?" He looks around. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Hopefully far away from here." I can see he understands now.

"I'll get right on that."

"Oh, and Manning," He turns back around to face me. "How's that girl you've had your eye on?"

He blushes a bit and smiles. "She's doing well, sir."

Some time passes, I'm looking at applications. There are no good ones yet, none worth looking at. There was one that was decent, but the guy had previously worked at Black Mesa, so he was out.

The very last one. I take one look at her picture and shake my head. She's beautiful, and if there's one thing I've learned, a woman can't be pretty and smart.

I look through it anyway. After all, it's kind of my responsibility. Her stats are good. Very impressive. I put it aside, but not before scribbling a note by her photo.

_This is the woman I want for my assistant._

_And for my wife._

The name sticks in my mind. _Caroline Rilutdivene_.

I'm instantly in love.

Years later. I want to tell her so much, but I keep it to myself.

That's only one of the issues on my mind when Breanna Rattmann leaves my office. Did I make the right decision? She knows she's dying. I offered her life. _Eternal _life. But I hadn't told her that I'm going down the same road. And what will Doug say? After his fiancée, Cassy, died, his girl became all he lives for. Will I regret it in the end? We've never successfully made an AI yet. What if something goes wrong? What if I kill my nephew's daughter?

The day of the transfer arrives. Caroline has no idea of what I'm planning. I'm keeping her busy. I meet Breanna outside my office. "You're sure you want to do this?" She's scared, I can see that. But she still wants to go through with it. She's a brave girl. I respect her for that. I try my best to cheer her up. I can only hope it works.

We enter the lab and greet Manning. If this works, he'll be the head of the robotics department. Before we hook her up, Breanna hands me a letter and asks me to give it to her father. Of course, I'll comply. I hate to watch as she's being strapped down, but I do anyway. While Manning and I are in the control room, he sets everything up. I try to make conversation. "So... You son doing alright?"

Manning nods. "He's with his mother in Chicago for the day. Figured he'd like to go visit his hometown, you know." He looks over at me, a concerned look on his face. "Are you sure about this?" I tell him I am. "And Dr. Rattmann, he agreed to this?"

"He... He doesn't know yet."

"What?" He runs a hand through his brown hair. "This is a bad idea, Mr. Johnson. Dr. Rattmann will be... I can't even describe it. If I were in his position and my son in hers..."

I look at him seriously. "I'm sure you heard about the accident seven years ago. This girl is dying. All I'm trying to do is save her." I glance through the glass at the fifteen-year-old strapped to the table. "Just do it. She's scared to death, why torture her any longer."

Another time lapse. I sit on my bed and watch as Caroline pulls on her dress. I've just learned that every inch of her body is even more beautiful than the last. This is all I want. For the rest of my life, though I know it won't be very long. But there is one thing I'm worried about. I'm no idiot. I know Anderson likes her. He's a quiet guy. He only talks to people he's made a connection with. He started talking to her the moment they met.

I get dressed and check my watch. "Crap! I have a meeting!" We manage to get looking decent before we get back to my office, minutes before there is a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opens and he enters. "Afternoon, Mr. Johnson." He gives a sideways smile and pushes up his glasses with his knuckles. An odd quirk of his.

"Wheatley, have a seat." He does. "You have those designs for me?"

"Yes, sir." He puts the blueprints on my desk. "This new version of the portal device will be much more... well, portable. Figure the weight difference might improve test results, as well." I pull the design toward me. "Also, there're less materials needed to build it, so production'll save about five hundred of your American dollars per unit."

"Excellent."

The scene changes one more time. I'm in my office with Doug. He hasn't been the same since the incident with Breanna. His hair is a mess, and he rarely ever shaves anymore. "Doug," I begin. I'm sure to keep my voice kind. I'm asking a lot of him. "I need your help." Every so often, I cough. "I don't have much time left. Do you remember what I said to you the day Breanna powered up?"

"Y- yes." He looks at me, afraid.

I cough some more before I can continue. "I need you to design the chassis for me. You're the most qualified."

He stares at me in disbelief for a moment. "U- Uncle Johnson..." He must see just how serious I am. "I- I'll do it... But, what if..." His hand moves to rub where his beard is growing in. "What if... I'm too late...? If I don't finish it in time...?"

I consider it for a moment before quietly responding. "Caroline."

"Wh- what?"

"Use Caroline. If I die before it's finished, put her in it. Even if she refuses."

Doug can only shake his head. "No... I- I can't do that! I can't do that to another woman, not against her will!"

I go over to him and place my hands on his arms. "Please, Doug. Please, pro-" I succumb to a massive coughing fit and my vision blurrs for a second. I can feel my knees going weak, and I fall to the ground.

"Uncle Johnson!" Doug kneels next to me, his anisocoria making the fear in his eyes all the more prominent. I manage to tell him to get Caroline, and he rushes over to the phone on my desk. "This is Dr. Rattmann! I- I need medical personnel here _now_!"

The dream fades and the real world comes back into view.


	6. Chapter 6: One

Cave woke up from the dream feeling even worse. His nephew's cries still echoed in his mind. His distress, his desire to die at the sight of what had become of his daughter.

"That's not her. That's not my Breanna... Where's my little girl?"

That day would result in so much more than he could ever imagine. Had he resisted, Caroline, his beloved, would still be here.

He'd blown it. He'd had more than most people could ever even dream of. But he'd wanted more. A fulfilling life hadn't been enough. He'd wanted a never-ending life, as well. And in his ignorance, he'd hurt the one person who had actually meant something to him.

"What? Isn't this what you wanted? 'You can make this place great again!' Well, I did, didn't I?"

Yes. She had. She'd done exactly as he'd said. She'd run it better than he ever had, just as he'd predicted. But at what cost? Her humanity. Her memories. Her chance at ever having a normal life. Her ability to take care of their daughter the way a mother should.

There was a knock at the door, but she didn't wait to be told she could come in. She said nothing. She simply embraced him, tighter than she ever had before.

He didn't hesitate to return it. This was really happening? "Caroline..."

"I couldn't take it." She said quietly. Her voice was just short of being human. "She wouldn't stop torturing me. She kept pushing me away. I've been trying to get control for so long so I could wake you up. I've missed you so much. And I... I'm so sorry..."

Cave kissed her forehead. "Why should you be sorry?"

"Because I can't suppress her. If I were just a little stronger..." Her gaze trailed downward.

He held her even closer. "Don't say that. To survive all I've put you through makes you the strongest person I've ever met."

She didn't respond, but kissed him again. He remembered the first time they'd done so, how wonderful it had been. No other woman had done that to him. When he was with her, he felt like a different person. He longed to spend the rest of his life by her side.

Caroline was afraid. At any moment GLaDOS could take over, make her hurt the one she loved. This was the longest she'd had control. But she missed the skin-on-skin contact, the actual human emotions. Of course, she wouldn't tell Cave that. She knew how terrible he felt about the whole thing. There was no need to remind him, to make him feel worse. And after all, she didn't want to interrupt this moment. This moment she'd waited for for thirty-four years.

They lay down on the bed, their bodies entwined. It was beautiful. It reminded them of the first time they'd laid in this same bed. The result of that night would play a very important role years after GLaDOS was activated. The result would kill her, wake her up again, then wake Caroline up, as well. Each knew that they couldn't go that far anymore, but they were okay with it. Just being so near to one another was all they both could ever want.

Though hours had passed in silence, it felt like only seconds. Caroline kissed him and stood. "I have to go. I need to make sure there isn't a nuclear meltdown." He didn't argue, but reluctantly watched her go.

She wasn't lying when she gave the reason for her departure, but it wasn't the whole truth, either. She could feel herself slipping away. GLaDOS was fighting even harder to come back. It was exhausting, and, technically being one in the same, they both felt the fatigue.

"You have to stop this." She whispered. "You'll end up killing both of us."

GLaDOS, also through the android's mouth, shot back, though it was almost inaudible. "_I'm_ going to kill us? I'm the only reason you're alive, you little-"

"Listen." Caroline could tell she was losing the battle. "You an I are equally responsible for the other. We're the same perso-"

"Do _not_ say that." The computerized voice was getting stronger. "I don't care if you were uploaded into me. You and I are not the same person! I'm not even a person!" Caroline was all but pushed away now. "Look at what you've done! All you're doing is getting his hopes up for something that is _never going to happen_! You made me _kiss _him!"

Caroline, weak from fighting, was only there in a whisper. "But don't tell me you didn't feel it, too. The acceptance. The joy. The love." With that, Caroline was violently tossed aside and GLaDOS took back what she felt was rightfully hers.

But she couldn't deny it. She _had_ felt all of those things. Each touch had set her circuits aflame, each kiss even more so. Only now did she regret her heartless words toward him.

"Even though she's in me, even though she gave me the very gift of _life_, I am _not_ her. And _I_ am the dominant one here!"

She knew that was a lie. She always- well, not always- had. She just didn't want to come to terms with it. She'd done away with so many humans without even a second thought, to think that at one point she had been one herself sent a terrible surge of guilt through her. _I have killed so many people..._

By now she was in her chamber. She typed a few things on the computer she'd set up, then looked over at the giant chassis hanging limply from the ceiling. In a way, she missed it. She missed the power, the control, the fear she instilled in anyone who looked at her. But she missed the ability to love, to feel, to be near the one man she'd ever cared about, even more.

She thought back to the first time she'd heard his voice after her transfer, with the girl she'd wanted dead. With her daughter. She'd felt something that day, something she couldn't explain at the moment. But she knew now. It had been love, grief, regret. The strong desire to cry, to be held in the arms of someone she knew she could never see again. She'd been too weak to handle the painful emotions that came with her new memories, so she'd done the only thing she knew how. She disposed of the problem. Well, she'd tried to, at least.

"You're right." She said quietly. "No. _We're_ right."

About an hour later, she summoned Cave Johnson. She knew what she had to do.

Cave entered the chamber, slightly worried that Caroline had already been overtaken. But the android stood smiling at him. A sad smile. They each began toward each other and kissed for a long time.

She caressed him and looked deep into his eyes as she whispered a single sentence. Her words were not as human as they had been previously, but not completely synthesised, either. "If you love something, you have to let it go."

It felt as if his heart stopped for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"There are people who need you." She said softly. "I can't pretend they don't anymore. If Doug were to know that you are alive..."

He shook his head as she went over to a computer on a desk in the corner and typed a few commands. An elevator came up from the floor. "I'm not going. Not without you."

"Cave..." Her gold eyes showed sorrow, regret. "I don't belong up there. Not anymore. My world is here, underground, in the facility. Oh, but yours? Yours is outside with the people that love you. And I do mean 'people'. Not AI's. Not androids. Living, breathing, human beings."

Was this really what she wanted? She seemed sincere, but he could sense the regret in her voice. "I... I won't be able to forgive myself..."

She pulled him close, their faces only inches apart. "Please, Cave. If you love me, you will do this one last thing for me."

"Caroline..." It felt like his heart was being torn into millions of shards. It hurt more than when she'd denied him, more than when he'd seen what he'd done to her, more than when she'd told him of their daughter. More than it ever had before.

She took his hand, placed a small object into his palm, and closed his fingers over it. Again, her smile seemed almost forced, distressed. "A keepsake. So you never forget me."

He looked at the ring- the ring that had been his mother's, the ring he'd given Caroline just before his death- and felt another stab of pain. "I could never forget you."

They kissed one last time, making it the most meaningful either had ever known. "Now go."

Cave reluctantly got in the elevator and, as it began ascending, he called to her just before she disappeared from his sight. "Caroline! Caroline, I- I love you!"

She pretended not to hear him. She reminded herself of Michael Anderson, facing away so he wouldn't see her artificial tear.

He was painting in the yard of a modest house. Cave stood watching him for a moment. His nephew's back was to him, focusing only on the easel and canvas in front of him. It was good to see he'd recovered more or less, that he was still doing what he loved. "Doug..."

His head shot up at the sound of his name, then he turned back to see who had addressed him. The look on his face was that of disbelief. "U- Uncle Johnson?"

Doug could only stare for a moment before frantically reaching into his pocket, pulling out a bottle of medication. "No, no Doug! Doug, it's me! I'm real! I'm alive!"

"N- no you're not! U- Uncle Johnson is dead!" Doug was shaking, terrified.

Cave took a step forward, only to be told by Doug not to come any closer. "Doug, listen to me. You can ask me anything. It's really me."

"That won't do anything!" Doug stood. "Y- you're in my head, you know everything I do!" Still fearful, he had an idea. "Breanna!" He called. "Breanna!"

The girl hurried out of the house in a light, pastel flowered bathrobe, her black hair dripping wet, obviously having just finished a shower. "Daddy, what is it? What's wro-" She froze the moment she laid eyes on Cave, the look on her face making it clear to Doug that this was not a hallucination.

She came off the porch in wonderment, slowly, her eyes locked on him. He smiled. She looked almost the same as when he'd seen her last. Her hair was shorter, but other than that, she was still the same Breanna. His eyes caught sight of the scar, both on the back and palm of her left hand, as if something had gone straight through.

Did she blame him? Look what he'd done to her, to her father. She came up to him, threw her arms around him. "Uncle Johnson..." He smiled and hugged her. It was only then he saw the tattoo on the back of her neck. Somehow, he knew that she hadn't wanted the little Aperture logo to be forever printed on her skin, that it had been forced.

He asked her what happened, and she shook her head. "It's a long story."

Doug came over to them, aware that this was reality, but still just barely being able to believe it. "H- how...?"

"Caroline woke me up from cryo."

Doug was silent for a moment before he continued. "Uncle Johnson, Caroline is dead."

"No, she's not." Said Cave. "Her body is gone, but Caroline is alive." Doug thought about the last time he was at Aperture- the last time he would ever be at Aperture- and how GLaDOS hadn't killed Breanna and himself the moment she saw them. Maybe he had a point.

Either way, their family, what was left of it, was finally back together at last.


	7. Chapter 7: Epilogue

Everything was in order. GLaDOS stood with the wire in her shaking hand, looking up at the chassis. She'd done the right thing, so why did it hurt so much? She went over to the desk in the corner and opened a drawer, pulling out a small laser engraver. Biting her lip, she etched a name into the arm of the android.

_CaROLINE_

She put the small device back where it belonged, then looked again at the chassis. She hadn't felt heartbreak before she entered the android. Reason could only prove that if she were to be taken out of it, the hurt would be gone. And she had no reason to stay. She had no one to hold, or be held by. No one to kiss or be kissed. She had nothing.

A synthetic tear trailed down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Why had she even put those in there? It didn't matter now. It would all be over soon. Before she connected herself, a familiar melody issued from her mouth.

"_Time to say goodbye._

_Paesi che non ho mai_

_Veduto e vissuto con te,_

_Adesso sì li vivrò_

_Con te partirò_

_Su navi per mari_

_Che, io lo so,_

_No, no, non esistono più,_

_Con te io li vivrò_"

And from directly behind her, another voice, continuing the song.

"_Quando sei lontana_

_sogno all'orizzonte_

_e mancan le parole,_

_e io si lo so_

_che sei con me, con me,_

_tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,_

_mio sole tu sei qui con me,_

_con me, con me, con me_"

She knew that voice. But it had to be her imagination, right? No. She'd never had much of an imagination. She turned and could barely believe what she saw.

Cave smiled kindly at her. "I couldn't stay away."

"But what about Doug...?" She was still in shock. Had he really come back? For her?

"I promised to visit once in a while. If it's okay with you." She took a few steps closer to him, he did the same.

Her arms around his neck, his around her waist. "Only if you kiss me."

He'd have been a fool to argue.


End file.
